The harmful effects of eating too much canned food to children’s health is also a concern. One mother in Saguiaran hopes that the government will consider rationing food with nutritional value to the children. Cooking is difficult in the evacuation centers. Mothers would want to cook for their children but they were not provided with cooking pans and utensils. Moreover, they do not have money to buy cooking oil and firewood. A stack of firewood is said to be sold at P50.00 in the evacuation centers. On a positive note, the evacuees situated in Landa Pamana, Balo-I are able to cook because firewood can be gathered from the trees found at the back of the evacuation center. They were also able to borrow cooking wares from their neighbors. Children and youth who were interviewed are very grateful of the help that the Barangay Captain of Landa Pamana has extended to them. According to the children, the leader would sometimes use his personal money to buy food for the evacuees. b) Clothing and other non-food items Most children were not able to bring anything aside from the clothes that they were wearing when they fled their homes in Marawi. Having left with no money, their families relied on the government to provide for their basic needs. Aside from food, each registered family is given a pack of clothes and set of beddings (mat/blankets) when they arrived at the evacuation center. In Buruun, Maria Cristina and Sta. Elena, one foldable bed is also provided to each family. Girls from Saguiaran and Maria Cristina also received two pieces of malong (tube skirt) from DSWD. Since donated clothes were already pre-packed, the evacuees were not able to choose the kind of clothes that were handed to them. In Buru-un, IDP girl-children received clothes that are not culturally appropriate. Maranao girls have no choice but to wear short sleeve blouses that do not cover their arms. As shared by a Muslim girl from Buru-un, “’ung ibang damit na binibigay sa amin ‘nde po namin magamit kasi bawal naman po sa amin ‘yun, ayaw din po sa aming ipasuot nila mama. Ung ibang ukay binibigay nalang namin sa mga Christians para magamit.” Also a concern for most Moslem girls is their lack of ‘hijab’ (veil), as they are required to wear this piece of clothing when in the presence of men outside their immediate family. A number of Maranao girls interviewed have one ‘hijab’, the one they wore when they left Marawi City. One evacuee mentioned that she received a ‘hijab’ when representatives from OPAPP visited their evacuation center. It was observed that most Moslem girls in the evacuation centers have gotten used to being seen without ‘hijab’. Still, some would look for ways to cover their faces with towelletes or scarves. Moreover, there was one girl who declined to be interviewed because she felt embarrassed for not wearing her ‘hijab’. In Buruun, a girl refused to stepout of her sleeping area because she is not wearing a ‘hijab’. Prayer clothes are also required for women and girls to participate in mosque services. In Pantar, IDP girls who do not have the traditional clothing of Maranao women are not allowed to enter the mosque to pray. In Balo-I, girls attend mosque services wearing prayer clothes borrowed from families living near the evacuation center. Aside from the lack of clothes that are appropriate to cultural and religious practices, there is also a need for baby clothes and undergarments. A young mother from Saguiaran worries that she has not yet received clothes that would fit her new born baby. Moreover, she mentioned that some of the donated clothes were used as dusters (basahan) because they are too worn-out to be worn. As for the undergarments, children confirmed that undergarments (brief, panty and brassieres) are provided to all evacuees only that some are not sized accordingly, and the quantity provided is not enough for daily use. Footwear, such as slippers, should also be provided to all children in the evacuation centers to replace worn-out or lost slippers. Although, it was observed that, slippers are often not lost but are intentionally taken from the children. “Madalas ang nakawan ng tsinelas dito, ‘nde rin maiiwasan kasi kulang talaga ang tsinelas nang mga bata,” says 67